Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-25

Upon Cans ard Glass Balls, Then Try
Game.
While the proprietor of Broadway Cun
store was watching party of young men
who were practicing with pistols in a Sixth
avenue shooting gallery the other night and
discussing shooting in general with friend,
he was asked if he could tell how a man with
but little knowledge of gun could become
an expert as Il wing shot i'll the field He
said:
"lf a man knows the butt from the muzzle
he can be taAl how to become an expert shot.
This is a very good time of the year to begin,
especially on a rainy day when time hangs
heavy. Take the gun to your room, and,
after making sure that it Is unloaded, bring it
to your shoulder and ain at the door knob,
and as the sight covers the mark press the
trigger slowly. 1t is astonishing TO see how
nervous the new beginner is about pressing
the trigger Hednes it with jerk invariably,
and jerk destroys the aim A gun weighing
eigiit poun'S Is about right TO practice with,
and that Is a very good weight for all sorts of
birds except ducks, geese, etc. When you find
that you can readily get the sight on the door
hAIpJ, tHt huic, pl On SbtIlb marx ON
other side of the street which YOU can see
through the window, try following the crack
ot the door og the edge Of the door frame from
bottom to top, pulling the trigger as the sight
reaches the top. This is simple practice, but,
ii followed deliberately, it Strengthens the
muscles used III handling the gun. and also
trains them to obey tine will promptly but
without nervous haste. SoIne men viii learn
to handle the gun calmly in this kind Of exer-
else in day or two, but others require a
month. When i was learning kept my gun
ieaning against the mantcl, and picked it up
and pointed from one object TO another a>
often as convenient
THE next step is TO learn to follow IA NOV
ing object. Aim at the head of a passing
horse, keeping the sight as closely on an ear
Us posSiGle, OF the head of the driver if the
horse be attached to a vehicle, or aim at the
head OF pedestrian. The sola object of thi,
is 10 strengthen the muscles so that they will
obey the viii Keep the eve 50 low behind
the butt Of the barrels that only the top OF
lie sight appears against the object aimed at
BEGINNERS PRACTICE.
"When pleasant day comes take your gun
into tbe folds A trap such as may he bad
for from $3.50 to SO. for throwing glass balls
should be taken along. \ friend 10 help with
the trap Is convenient, but not nectS, ,ary
But no glas, balls will be needed the first day
A few old Uin cans will serve much better
Throw these straight up with the trap point
iH- the sill empty gun at the cans as they
rise Press the trigger when the can ha.
reached its greatest altitude. Do this oveI
| aud over. Then press the trigger as the car
Is midway on Its "trip up or on its return
You will find as YOU do this that You cal
usually tell whether you have hit the can OF
| not. provided YOU had fired at it Then sci
the trap So that it Will throw the cans first t.
one side and then to the other, and theI
straight away from you"
| bot why work with an empty gum"
because the report and the kicl; of the dis
| charge OF loaded gun almost always prov,
too much for the nerves Of q beginner. TIL,
| object of the FIRST practice of a beginner
should be to overcome all nervousness. II,
must learn not TO get ratified Nerves are tn,
| baue of marksnen. No rule can tell how
man must practice with an empty gun, bu
he must certainly not load the gun until ht
ieels certain that when he presses the trigger
| talnly hit 1t nineteen times out of twenty il
the gun wero loaded The distance of tn,
| aspirant from the trap while the gun if han
| diei unioadcd should bo about twenty yards
| Then, when ready for the next step, reduc,
the distance 90 fifteen yards, put the bigges
can on hand on the trap and load the gun
| The cartridges uIust contain two drachms O
| powder and three-quarters of an ounce of No
5 shot No Is the correct all around SIZE o
shot in upland shooting, and that weight o.
charge will lot make a kick Of any conse
| quence when fired. But don't shoot a, tn,
can the first time it is thrown into the ali
after the gun Is loaded. Follow il as before
Beng nearer to 1t. you will tiud it easier tt
follow. and with this feeling uppermos
throw the can again. Follow it to It's lighes
altitude, where the shot Is made easiest, anC
pull the trigger.
IF YOU SHOULD MISS.